nominal

American  

[nom-uh-nl] / ˈnɒm ə nl /

adjective

1. being such in name only; so-called; putative.

   a nominal treaty;

   the nominal head of the country.

   Synonyms:

   formal, titular

2. (of a price, consideration, etc.) named as a mere matter of form, being trifling in comparison with the actual or expected amount or value; minimal or insignificant.

   a nominal fee;

   a nominal improvement.

3. of, relating to, or constituting a name or names.

4. Grammar.

   1. of, relating to, or producing a noun or nouns.

      a nominal suffix.

   2. functioning as or like a noun.

5. assigned to a person by name.

   nominal shares of stock.

6. containing, bearing, or giving a name or names.

7. (of money, income, or the like) measured in an amount rather than in real value.

   Nominal wages have risen 50 percent, but real wages are down because of inflation.

8. Chiefly Aerospace. performing or achieved within expected, acceptable limits; normal and satisfactory.

   The mission was nominal throughout.

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noun

1. Grammar. a word or group of words functioning as a noun.

nominal British  

/ ˈnɒmɪnəl /

adjective

1. in name only; theoretical

   the nominal leader

2. minimal in comparison with real worth or what is expected; token

   a nominal fee

3. of, relating to, constituting, bearing, or giving a name

4. grammar of or relating to a noun or noun phrase

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noun

1. grammar a nominal element; a noun, noun phrase, or syntactically similar structure

2. Leisure:Bell-ringing the harmonic an octave above the strike tone of a bell

Other Word Forms

• nominally adverb
• prenominal adjective
• unnominal adjective
• unnominally adverb

Etymology

Origin of nominal

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English nominalle “of a noun,” from Latin nōminālis “of, belonging to a name or names, nominal,” equivalent to nōmin- (stem of nōmen ) + -ālis adjective suffix; nomen, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Xi himself visited Xinjiang and Tibet in 2025 to mark major anniversaries of Beijing giving some nominal political autonomy in those areas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We are aware of the arrest of a Scottish nominal in Bali and we are working closely with European partners."

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

However, one could reasonably expect an AI-related positive productivity shock to further lift the nominal equilibrium rate, affording the Fed time to wait out the latest round of supply shocks and inflationary pressure.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Next, Barclays said industrial production in the U.S. continues to improve, while third, sticky inflation, underpinned by rising oil prices “should lift nominal EPS, especially for industrials, energy and pricing-power franchises.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

The nominal first boat, Joe’s, kept coming in third.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• minimal
• symbolic
• token